Narrative:

On approach to fxe runway 8 I was requested (by the tower controller) to extend my base leg and square my turn to final to allow several other planes to takeoff. Although a small rain shower was approaching the airport from the north. I complied with the tower's request. As I came in on short approach to flare- out, I experienced some turbulence that was running ahead of the rain shower. I decided to abort the landing and go around. Although I had started my go around, at first I was unable to tell the tower due to the controller's motor-mouthing on the radio. Several seconds after starting my go around, the tower operator said 'I see you are doing a go around.' at that point I requested right traffic to avoid the approaching rain shower. He said that I had to maintain runway heading. Several seconds later I was in heavy rain. I again requested right traffic and was told to make close right traffic, which I did. This took me out of the worst rain but I was still in a light shower. The tower controller said that I could set up for another landing. I told him that I wanted to leave the area and come back after the shower was gone. He agreed. I turned 45 degrees away from the downwind and proceeded w-s-west to avoid the ILS approach. I flew approximately 4-5 mi and the engine sputtered several times and quit. I tried to restart twice and called mayday 3 times. The tower controller was still motor- mouthing and didn't hear me until another aircraft told him I was calling mayday. I reported my situation and squawked 7700. I set up a glide and landed on 1-75 wbound without further problem. After landing I found what appeared to be a short in the ignition (probably caused by water). I switched to the back-up ignition and the engine re-started and ran fine. The police contacted the FAA. He said that if the police would allow me to take off of I-75 that it was ok with him. I did and returned to fxe with no further problems. I believe that the FAA controllers should be trained not to send VFR aircraft into sits that could easily become IFR within seconds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SEL ENG QUITE CAUSING PVT PLT TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT LNDG ON A MAJOR HWY.

Narrative: ON APCH TO FXE RWY 8 I WAS REQUESTED (BY THE TWR CTLR) TO EXTEND MY BASE LEG AND SQUARE MY TURN TO FINAL TO ALLOW SEVERAL OTHER PLANES TO TKOF. ALTHOUGH A SMALL RAIN SHOWER WAS APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE N. I COMPLIED WITH THE TWR'S REQUEST. AS I CAME IN ON SHORT APCH TO FLARE- OUT, I EXPERIENCED SOME TURB THAT WAS RUNNING AHEAD OF THE RAIN SHOWER. I DECIDED TO ABORT THE LNDG AND GAR. ALTHOUGH I HAD STARTED MY GAR, AT FIRST I WAS UNABLE TO TELL THE TWR DUE TO THE CTLR'S MOTOR-MOUTHING ON THE RADIO. SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER STARTING MY GAR, THE TWR OPERATOR SAID 'I SEE YOU ARE DOING A GAR.' AT THAT POINT I REQUESTED R TFC TO AVOID THE APCHING RAIN SHOWER. HE SAID THAT I HAD TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER I WAS IN HVY RAIN. I AGAIN REQUESTED R TFC AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE CLOSE R TFC, WHICH I DID. THIS TOOK ME OUT OF THE WORST RAIN BUT I WAS STILL IN A LIGHT SHOWER. THE TWR CTLR SAID THAT I COULD SET UP FOR ANOTHER LNDG. I TOLD HIM THAT I WANTED TO LEAVE THE AREA AND COME BACK AFTER THE SHOWER WAS GONE. HE AGREED. I TURNED 45 DEGS AWAY FROM THE DOWNWIND AND PROCEEDED W-S-W TO AVOID THE ILS APCH. I FLEW APPROX 4-5 MI AND THE ENG SPUTTERED SEVERAL TIMES AND QUIT. I TRIED TO RESTART TWICE AND CALLED MAYDAY 3 TIMES. THE TWR CTLR WAS STILL MOTOR- MOUTHING AND DIDN'T HEAR ME UNTIL ANOTHER ACFT TOLD HIM I WAS CALLING MAYDAY. I RPTED MY SIT AND SQUAWKED 7700. I SET UP A GLIDE AND LANDED ON 1-75 WBOUND WITHOUT FURTHER PROB. AFTER LNDG I FOUND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SHORT IN THE IGNITION (PROBABLY CAUSED BY WATER). I SWITCHED TO THE BACK-UP IGNITION AND THE ENG RE-STARTED AND RAN FINE. THE POLICE CONTACTED THE FAA. HE SAID THAT IF THE POLICE WOULD ALLOW ME TO TAKE OFF OF I-75 THAT IT WAS OK WITH HIM. I DID AND RETURNED TO FXE WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. I BELIEVE THAT THE FAA CTLRS SHOULD BE TRAINED NOT TO SEND VFR ACFT INTO SITS THAT COULD EASILY BECOME IFR WITHIN SECONDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.